The Beginning
by jennyyg
Summary: Set during the Pilot episode when Sandra is given the task to set up UCOS. This is my first fic and isn't the best but I hope you like it! I don't own anything that is in the episode or the characters! I hope you enjoy :) xx
1. Chapter 1

Panic and chaos broke out as armed police came charging into the place where the Chinese were. People were running round like headless chickens and the poor soul locked and blindfolded, in the back room had no idea what was going on and he was terrified after being kidnapped by these people.  
"HANDS IN THE AIR" came a loud feminine voice from the police officer at the front. One of the men dropped a chicken whilst the main man let go of his dogs lead. The dog let out a thundering bark and then it was suddenly silent after the sound of a single shot echoed around the room.  
"YOU SHOT MY DOG!" The Chinese man was appalled at this woman, what the hell had she shot the innocent dog for.  
Sandra Pullman woke up from that dream in a daze and confused. It took her a moment to realise that it wasn't a fantasy dream but a replay of events that had really happened the evening before. She got up picked up her mobile and Police ID card and set out in her Peugeot for a meeting with DAC Bevan to find out her fate.  
Her job was everything to her, she had followed in her father's footsteps, trained at Hendon and then steadily made her way up through the force and was put in charge of the Chinese job. In that one moment when she shot the dog, she knew that that everything she had worked for, all her life might be about to be taken away from her. "Terrific" She said sarcastically once it had all died down. She knew Bevan (her senior officer) would have something to say about this and to no surprise the next day he called a meeting with her.

She walked into the office expecting Donald Bevan to be sitting expectiadly at his desk although the room was filled with large coloured cards and some young man talking to him about changing the colour of the walls in the station. Sandra wasn't listening, that moment was replaying through her head non-stop, she just wanted this meeting to be over and done with.  
Finally the man left and she was alone in the office with Bevan.  
"Sandra, Sandra, Sandra" he started. "Everyone here is fully aware of the carrier path you have calved out for yourself but that Chinese job let you down. The RSPCA have been in touch about it and we are currently in conversation with them."  
"So what does that mean for me?" Sandra asked tentatively, not really wanting to know the answer.  
Her brain switched off at this point.  
"Sandra?" Bevan asked a few moments later, she had no idea what he had been talking about."Sorry, what?" She said calmly.  
"An Unsolved Crime and Open Case Initiative, you and 3 designated personnel will look at cold cases and hopefully bring in fantastic results. This has great potential.  
Sandra took a moment to digest this information.  
"Designated personnel?" she asked, surely Bevan had people ready to be appointed to her new team  
"Well obviously they wouldn't be serving offices as such but it is a great opportunity for retired poli"  
"Retired?" Sandra butted it.. "Do they have to have their own teeth?"  
"You will be free to choose your team, let me know by the end of the week.. You are free to go."

"Dead.. Dead.. As good as.. Would be if I got my hands on him.." Jack Halford, Sandra's old governor was flicking through photos of retired police officers in his living room seeing who would be good for the job.  
Sandra thought he would be perfect for the team but still needed two more officers and Jack knew everyone, surely a couple of these people would be suitable.  
"I think you are going to have to advertise" he said to her and they put in an ad to the local rag.  
The interviews were a disaster too. Nobody was at all suitable, Sandra was going to have to go to Bevan and explain that it was simply impossible to set up this squad.  
Jack, however had other ideas. He handed Sandra two files.  
"These two would be good, well as good as you're gonna get."  
The first file Sandra opened was Brian Lane, he had left the force on medical grounds. It was known he was an alcholoic and very obsessive about things.  
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Sandra exclaimed "I know what happened to him"  
"No you don't" Jack reassured her. "He is a good officer and unlike the others, he isn't on deaths door.."  
She moved on to the second file. Opening it she was graced with a smiling face and immediately remembered the interview with Gerry Standing.  
"No. No. No. I only agreed to meet him because I heard so much about him, I certainly didn't think he was serious!"  
"Gerry is a good cop, he has put away major villans. He would be an asset Sandra."

Somehow Sandra found herself at the pub with Jack, Brian and Gerry discussing their first case. Once they had all finished Gerry offered her a lift home.  
"Uh, yeah why not" She said purely out of politeness. Making enemies before they had started didn't seem like a good idea although she couldn't stand this man.  
"You have good legs" He remarked as they walked to the car.  
"Er, thanks" she said awkwardly. "Is it this one?  
They had stopped next to an old green Stag that Sandra thought looked like a pile of rust.  
"Yep! My 4th child" Gerry said looking lovingly at it. They got in and set off, Sandra giving directions.  
"4th ay? So you have 3 kids?" She was pleased to find a conversation point.  
"Yeah. Paula, Amelia and Caitlin, they are all a pain in the arse really, like their mothers but I love them all."  
Sandra assumed that they all has different mothers from the way Gerry said it but didn't want to ask. Gerry seemed to have sensed this and laughed.  
"3 wives, 3 kids, 3 divorces." He joked. "What about you?"  
This is what she had been dreading but luckily by this time they were nearing her road.  
"Just here is fine" she said and Gerry pulled up and got out the car.  
Sandra didn't know what on earth he thought he was doing getting out the car and was sat in the car alone confused for a moment before a blanket of cold air poured in from her door that Gerry had just opened for her.  
"Thanks" she said shivering, "I'll see you tomorrow them?"  
"Want me to walk you from here?" Gerry asked.  
Sandra wanted nothing more than for him to leave her alone but was so cold in the night air she couldn't say anything through her chattering teeth.  
Gerry took off his coat and wrapped it round her shoulders. She was suddenly much warmer and stank of smoke from the coat. Strangely she suddenly felt happier than she had in a long time and she didn't know why.


	2. Chapter 2

As they reached Sandra's front door she asked if Gerry wanted a cup of coffee or tea.  
"Yeah, yeah sure. Thanks" he replied and they both went inside.  
Gerry looked round, the house looked barely lived in. There were no pictures or anything personal apart from a few unopened letters on the table at the bottom of the stairs. The walls were white and bare and the whole house didn't feel much warmer then the freezing air outside.  
He followed Sandra across the hall to the kitchen which was much of the same. Nothing on the work surfaces and the cooker looked like it was only there for show and had never been used.  
"So what do you fancy?" Sandra asked interrupting Gerry's thoughts.  
"Oh, urm yeah, beer?" he asked with a glint in his eye.  
"Gerry you have to drive all the way to yours. I'm not giving you alcohol. Anyway I only have dry white."  
"You're no fun are you!" Gerry said sarcastically to Sandra who rolled her eyes "Nah, tea will be lovely, milk no sugar ta."

Gerry went to sit on the sofa and waited for Sandra to make the tea. When she came over she sat next to him and quietly started sipping her tea.  
"So do you live on your own?" Gerry asked slightly awkwardly. He could see Sandra kept trying to dodge any personal questions but he was desperate to hear about her.  
"Yeah, why?" she answered looking into her mug.  
"Just wondered. Any kids?" Gerry asked matter-of-factly  
"Nope" She said. Still looking deeply into her mug  
"Right I see. Got a fella?"  
"Look Gerry. I appreciate you bringing me home but let's save all the sob stories for when we know each other a bit more yeah?" Sandra said now looking up at Gerry with an annoyance in her eyes. Gerry thought that he was fighting a losing battle and thought that he needed to do something to bring her round.  
"What were you gonna eat tonight?" He asked suddenly. Sandra looked up at him confused, what on earth was he asking her this for.  
"Oh uh, was just gonna heat something up why?" She was getting annoyed at him again now and thought it would be better for both of them if he just left.  
"Let me cook you a meal, to say sorry for irritating you. I don't wanna get on the wrong side of the new boss now do I?!" he said while laughing.  
"What?!" Sandra exclaimed before she had thought of something to say, "I mean it's a lovely idea but I was just going to have a quiet night. Anyway, can you even cook?"  
Gerry looked hurt at this "Course I can cook. I'm a good cook actually but if you don't want me to then fine, I'll be off." This is what Sandra has wanted wasn't it? Him to leave. But if that was so, why did she feel so ashamed and guilty.  
"Look, Gerry." Sandra called after him. "I didn't mean that, it's just I'm use to being on my own and well.. I don't have much food really." Hopefully this would put Gerry in a better mood and it wouldn't be too awkward when they went into work for their first official day tomorrow.  
"Don't worry about it. If you are really sorry, you will let me take you out for a meal!" He had that twinkle in his eye which made it hard for Sandra to say no and before she knew it she was back in his car, only this time she had her own coat on.

"Where do you fancy?" Gerry asked starting the engine.  
"I could murder an Indian" Sandra grinned.  
"I know just the place, sweetheart" Gerry replied pulling away.  
Sandra didn't like the cheek of Gerry calling her 'sweetheart' but didn't say anything in case they had another disagreement. It took about 10 minutes for them to get to a small independent Indian place Sandra had never been to before. She felt like she knew everything about this man now, he hadn't stopped talking the whole journey about Carol, Alison and Jayne. His wives and Paula, Amelia and Caitlin, his daughters, one from each marriage. She found it unbelievable that they had all stayed freinds with him after him cheating on them, normally with one of the others and how they all go along well themselves. She couldn't imagine being friends with one of her ex's.  
"Table for two please" Gerry said to the smiling waiter at the door. They were shown to a table by the window and sat down to read the menu.  
"This is a lovely little place" Sandra said to make conversation.  
"Yeah I came here once with Jayne, never very crowded and the grub is good." Gerry smiled.  
"Ready to order you two?" Said a waiter  
"Yeah I think so" Sandra answered "You ready Gerry?" She asked.  
They placed their orders and waited for the food to come. Sandra was thoroughly enjoying herself although she didn't want to admit it, she was even enjoying the company of Gerry Standing, which she wanted to admit even less.  
The waiter returned with the food. "Is this a little date then?" he asked is a soft gentle voice.  
"No we are just" Sandra started before Gerry interrupted her  
"Yeah, kind of" he said without looking at her. Yet again Sandra was so confused. This wasn't a date. She hardly knew this man and she was only just beginning to even like him, a feeling that was disappearing by the second.  
"Aw, well enjoy!" The waiter left.  
Sandra looked a Gerry baffled. "What are you talking about?" she asked him.  
"Well it is kind of a date isn't it? I mean we have come here alone getting to know each other. It is how a date goes. Sorry if I embarrassed you but I was just being honest."  
"Look Gerry. I am not on a date with you. We are just colleagues out for a meal. Lets eat this before it gets cold."

"Nice?" Gerry asked a couple of minutes later.  
"Yeah it is outstanding, yours?" Sandra asked. This was by far one of the best things she had ever eaten.  
"Yeah this is top grub. I knew you'd like it!" Gerry replied making Sandra smile.  
Once they had finished their desert they got the bill.  
"God it's not cheap is it!" Sandra exclaimed looking horrified at the bill.  
"Well you don't need to worry about that, this one is on me" Gerry said.  
"Oh no! I can't let you pay for me!" Sandra told him quite sternly but somehow she had no effect and Gerry insisted that he was paying.

"You really shouldn't have done that" Sandra told him on the way home. "But thank you, it was a really lovely evening." This was definitely the best nigh Sandra had had in a long time.  
"You deserve it" Gerry said taking his eyes off the road for a second to smile at her. This gave Sandra butterflies, whatever had irritated her about Gerry earlier had completely been forgotten. She could see he was a very kind hearted man and she hadn't felt like this about anyone before.  
"Here you are Madame" Gerry put on a French accent as he pulled up. This time he didn't get out the car to open Sandra's door, but with Sandra completely unaware, he leaned over and kissed her.

_Thank you so much for reading my first fic, I hope you enjoyed it! I loved writing it and will probably write some more soon! Let me know what you thought :) Jenny xxx_


End file.
